The Best Kava Drinks for Alcohol-Free Fun

Alcohol-Free Drinks, Tiki-Style

You don't need alcohol to have a great night out — you need good drinks and better company. Kava has been a social, shared drink in the South Pacific for thousands of years, and it takes beautifully to the classic tiki treatment: fruit juices, coconut, citrus, and a proper garnish. Everything below is 100% alcohol-free (kava and alcohol shouldn't be mixed anyway), and every recipe is fair game to recreate at home.

A note on the base: these recipes call for a prepared kava drink mix. Traditional preparation — ground root kneaded in water and strained — works too if you're feeling old-school.

Kava Mai Tai

Ingredients:

  • 1–2 oz prepared kava drink mix
  • 2 oz pineapple juice
  • 2 oz orange juice
  • 2 oz guava juice
  • A few drops of orange extract (stands in for the orange curacao)
  • Ice

Instructions: Combine everything in a shaker or blender. Blend 15 seconds with ice for a slushie, or shake well and serve over ice.

Lime Kava Shot

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz prepared kava drink mix
  • 1 oz lime juice (lemon works too)
  • ½ oz simple syrup
  • Slice of lime

Instructions: Combine everything in a 3–4 oz shot glass. The citrus does a beautiful job balancing kava's earthy, peppery edge.

Kava Colada

Like a piña colada, minus the rum.

Ingredients:

  • 1–2 oz prepared kava drink mix
  • 3 oz pineapple juice
  • 2 oz coconut cream
  • 1 oz heavy cream
  • Dash of non-alcoholic bitters (optional)
  • Ice

Instructions: Blend everything for 15 seconds. Garnish with a pineapple slice.

Kava Margarita

Ingredients:

  • 1–2 oz prepared kava drink mix
  • 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ½ oz agave nectar
  • ½ oz ginger syrup
  • Pinch of coarse salt for the rim
  • Ice

Instructions: Shake or blend everything for 15 seconds. Serve over ice with a lime wedge.

Or Let Our Bartenders Shake It

The easiest recipe of all: pull up a stool at Elixir Lounge, 206 Main St in Old Town Spring, TX — an 18+ venue, open seven nights a week. Try a kava flight (four flavors, $16.50) or catch Happy Hour Monday–Wednesday 4–7pm: $3 single shells, $6 double shells, $8 loaded lixirs. Browse the menu, see what's on, or order through Toast.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kava products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Elixir Lounge serves guests 18 years of age or older.